The document discusses the integration of Dell EMC's Unity storage platform with various virtualization technologies including Microsoft, VMware, and OpenStack. It highlights architectural advantages such as unified storage pools, dynamic optimization, and enhanced data management capabilities that are beneficial for virtual infrastructure. Additionally, it emphasizes features like automated tiering, efficient resource allocation, and management through a centralized interface, enhancing performance and operational efficiency in virtual environments.

1. MT46
Virtualization Integration with
Unity
Steve Spataro, Dell EMC Core Technologies
@steve_spataro

2. 2
The challenge for work in virtual environments are:
• Application workloads are
intermingled like strands
within rope.
• Servers and storage have
to have built in intelligence
to deal effectively with VMs
• Dell EMC Unity™ does. Let’s see how

3. 3
• What is in the Dell EMC Unity™ architecture that make it great for
virtualized infrastructure?
• Virtualization Integration with Unity
– Microsoft
– VMware
– OpenStack
• UnityVSA
Agenda

4. 4
Dynamic Optimization
Multicore optimization
RAID I/O DRAM Cache FAST Cache Data Services Management Available
CoreOptimization
Core Number

5. 5
Port utilization
Multicore
Load Balance  Efficient
Port-to-core affinity  Max potential
iSCSI
CNA Offload  Save CPU
I/O Module Offload
Recommended
Use as many front end ports as possible

6. 6
Unified storage pool architecture
Storage Pool
NAS Server
(virtual)
VVOL VVOLVVOL
LUN LUN
LUN LUN VVOL VVOLVVOL

7. 7
FAST Cache
Back End
UnifiedSvcs
Unified
Control
Path
Unified Pool
Protocol End Points
Replication
Block
(Thick/Thin LUNs)
File System
(64-bit)
VVOLs
VMDK/VHD
MAP
Policy
Engine Driver
DRAM
Flash Drives Disk Drives
• Support for file and block
• Extends cache with Flash drives
• Hot data automatically ends up in
FAST Cache
• In an SP failure; no need to warm
up the cache, it’s mirrored.
Architecture & Configuration Options
SYSTEM
MAXIMUM
FAST CACHE
SUPPORTED
DRIVES
Unity
300
800 GBs 200GB &
400GB
Unity
400
1.2 TBs 200GB &
400GB
Unity
500
3.2 TBs 200GB &
400GB
Unity
600
6.0 TBs 200GB,
400GB, &
800GB

8. 8
FAST VP Policies
Back End
UnifiedSvcs
Unified
Control
Path
Unified Pool
Protocol End Points
Replication
Block
(Thick/Thin LUNs)
File System
(64-bit)
VVOLs
VMDK/VHD
Policy Ensures Storage Service Levels are Met
1. Start High, then Auto-Tier
Maximizes initial performance;
then optimizes for TCO
2. Auto-Tier
Optimize TCO and performance
e.g., databases with varied levels of
activity among tables, or file systems with
varied levels of activity across files
3. Highest Available Tier
Maximize performance
e.g., high-performance OLTP system
4. Lowest Available Tier
Reduce TCO
e.g., archived or infrequently accessed
dataSSD HDD

9. 9
..
FAST VP relocation: how it works
FLASH SAS NL-SAS
Most Activity Neutral Activity Least Activity
Storage Pool
BeforeAfter Relocating.. . • For Hybrid Systems and
UnityVSA only
• Periodically relocates
256MB slices of data
• Three operations to
identify and move data to
the correct tiers
– Statistics Collection
– Analysis
– Relocation

10. 10
Get connected and resolve problems faster
Proactive management and support
PROACTIVE ASSIST CENTRALIZED MANAGEMENT AUTOMATIC HEALTH CHECK

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Fully integrated ecosystem ECOSYSTEM
• Support Forums
– How to Videos
– Online Chat
• Product Portal
• Replace Disk Drives, Power Supplies, and Other Parts
• Downloads & Documentation
• Learn
• Shop EMC Products

12. 12
REST
API
CLI
GUI
ONE Architecture
ONE Interface
One Platform
Manage Unity anyway you wish

13. 13
Typical benefits from virtualized infrastructures
Storage Consolidation
• Storage Management
– Provision storage and create virtual
machines – in under one minute
– Ongoing Server/Storage Mgmt reduced
over 80%
• Eliminate file servers
• Storage utilization improved by 75%
– Consolidation, thin provisioning and file
deduplication
• Streamline backup and recovery
• Payback in one year
VNXe Benefits
Employee desktops
Server
Web
server
Virtualized
Application servers
File servers
Make Money, Save Money, and Reduce Risk
Hyper-V

14. 14
Virtualization, optimization and integration
VASA | VAAI
ODX | NPIV | SMI-S  Simplified provisioning
 Faster VM copies
 Deeper visibility
 More overall control
90+ integration points into both VMware®, Hyper-V & OpenStack
OpenStack
Cinder | Manila

15. 15 EMC Storage/Replication Platforms
FC, SMB3,iSCSI
VNX VMAX XtremIO RecoverPoint
SMI-S, ODX
Microsoft
Windows
Hyper-V
Resource Providers
Service Reporting
Service Management
System Center
Virtual Machine
Manager
Operations
Manager
Orchestrator
VPLEX
Avamar in
Azure
Spanning
Backup for
O365
Azure
ExpressRoute
Azure Site
Recovery
SMI-S
Providers
ViPR
SCVMM
Add-in
Data
Protection
Suite
Avamar Virtual
Edition
ESI MMC
Plugin
EMC
PowerPath/VE
ESI Powershell
Toolkit
ESI
Powershell
Toolkit
Networker
SCVMM
Add-in
REST
API
REST
API
REST
API
REST
API
CloudBoost
Isilon Cloud
Pools
CoprHD
Powershell
Module
CloudArray
for Azure
Isilon
CloudLink
CloudLink
SCOM
MPs
SCORCH
IP
ESI Powershell Toolkit
Applications and Platforms
SQL Server Exchange SharePoint
REST
API
ESI Powershell Toolkit
Networker/DDBoost
AppSync
SourceOne
DSA
ProtectPoint
SourceOne
Service Automation (EHC)
Windows Server 2012 Feature Support
•Performance - ODX Copy Offload*
•Efficiency - Thin Provisioning
•Availability - SMB3 (multiple features)*
•Azure Site Recovery*
EMC Storage Integrator (ESI)
•Ease of Use - streamline provisioning for Microsoft Applications
System Center Management Packs
•End-To-End Management - Orchestration, Management,
Monitoring
Rich Automation support
•Powershell – for Windows-centric shops
•REST API – across the board
SCVMM Integrated Storage
•SMI-S
•ViPR Software Defined Storage
Integration points for Microsoft Windows
*First to market

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Manage & monitor your private cloud
Cloud management and orchestration
Application Management Service Delivery Automation Infrastructure Management
SCVMM
• Discover & Manage Storage
SCO
• Creates Workflows
• Automate Common Tasks
SCOM
• Extend Monitoring to Storage
Service Center
• Self-Service Portals
• Web-based access to System Center features
• Provisioning of VMs, Create new SQL Clusters
• Schedule Maintenance Jobs

17. 17
Backup (EMC DPS)
http://bit.ly/1SMWirH
Apps (Skype, Exchange, SharePoint)
http://bit.ly/1SMVYt2
•Foundation (Azure Pack, System Center,
vBlock)
http://bit.ly/1SMVVxt
Azure pack reference architectures
VBLOCK 340

18. 18
•VCE converged
architecture
Integrated IaaS with PaaS
layers
Exchange, SharePoint, SQL
aaS with AD automation
Enterprise Hybrid Cloud
Unity

19. 19
• EMC Storage Integrator (ESI) for
Windows
– Storage Admin & VMware Admin
share same visibility into storage
resources
– Plug-in allows VMware admin to
provision Unity storage
• Simplify storage provisioning and
mapping
• Delegate for self-service
• SharePoint aware storage provisioning
• Hyper-V, VMware, and XenServer
Support
• Automate your environment with
PowerShell
Simplified storage management
Easy to use MMC Snap-ins for
Server/Application Admin

20. 20
• Dynamic attach/detach of EMC
storage to/from the virtual SCSI
controller on the VM
• Supports FC and iSCSI initiators
on the Hyper-V parent
• Obviates the need for
administration on VM or Hyper-V
parent for storage provisioning
• Cluster Shared Volumes Support
• Leverages Server 2008 R2 hot
add feature
Hyper-V support - storage provisioning
View Virtual
Machines and their
Storage

21. 21
• Open and browse local or remote SharePoint
farm.
• Provision SharePoint Web Application:
– Create disks
– Create content database
– Create Web Application and attach the content
database.
• Create content database but not Web
Application
– Web Application can be created later using
SharePoint admin and the database created in
ESI
• Enable FILESTREAM RBS provider
– For database-only scenario
– For database and Web Application scenario
SharePoint provisioning
Identify the
underlying storage for
your SharePoint

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• Introduced in Windows Server 2012
– SCSI commands used by NTFS and Hyper-V
• Two stage operation
– Populate Token
• Returns a token which names a region of data (ROD)
• ROD can include multiple segments
– Write Using Token
• Copies the data described by the passed token to destination ROD
• Can be issued by different host than PT
Offloaded Data Transfer (ODX)

23. 23
Offloaded Data Transfer (ODX)
Populate
Token
Token
Write Using
Token
Result
Token

24. 24
Before (without ODX) After (with ODX)
Data Transfers with ODX can be 7X FASTER
Only send tokens
Data transfer

25. 25
Unity with VMware
Industry-leading integration
Virtual server
administrator
Storage
administrator
VAAI*offload
Unisphere
Less net I/O
More VMs
Faster response
SAN /NAS connect
Manage storage and VM
resources in unison
Control offload functions and
integrated replication
Manage storage and VM
resources in unison
Control offload functions
and integrated replication
* VAAI = VMware vStorage
APIs for Array Integration
* *VASA = VMware vStorage
APIs for Storage Awareness
vCenter
Server
integration &
VASA**

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VMware-aware Unisphere

27. 27
VMware Datastores

28. 28
• VMware APIs for Array Integration (VAAI)
• Offloads storage-related tasks to Unity
• Supports both File and Block primitives
• VMware APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA)
• On-array VASA provider
• Supports VASA 1.0 and 2.0 (VVols)
VMware APIs

29. 29
• Virtual Storage Integrator (VSI)
• EMC Storage Replication Adapter (SRA) for VMware Site
Recovery Manager (SRM)
• EMC Storage Analytics (ESA)
Unity ecosystem for VMware environments

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Unified Storage with VMware for Disaster Recovery -
Site Recovery Adapters
• Replication is controlled by VMware SRM and
certified SRA’s
• Define business workflows for discovery, testing,
failover, and failback
• VMFS and NFS
• SRA – certified automation of the failback process
• The business benefits:
– Turns manual recovery processes into automated recovery
plans
– Provides central management of recovery plans from
VMware VirtualCenter
PRODUCTION
ESX servers
RECOVERY
ESX servers
Replication
APP
OS
APP
OS
APP
OS
APP
OS
APP
OS
APP
OS
APP
OS
APP
OS
Unified Unified
SRM Failback
Makes disaster recovery rapid, reliable, manageable, affordable

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• Increased visibility across the virtual to storage infrastructure
• Proactively detect VNX storage performance and capacity faults in real-
time with actionable information
• Provides health alerts and health scores to help identify when mission
critical resources are at risk of reaching capacity in the future
• Helps build a stronger relationship between the VMware and Storage
administrators
• Built on proven VMware’s vCenter Operations Manager Analytics &
Visualization platform
• Extensible to vCenter Operations Manager Enterprise
EMC Storage Analytics

32. 32
VMware Virtual Volumes (VVols)
STORAGE POLICY-BASED
MANAGEMENT
VVOL
DATA SERVICES (FAST CACHE, FAST VP, THIN PROVISIONING)
SERVICE LEVEL OBJECTIVES & APPLICATION USAGE TAGS
COMPUTE
POLICY ENGINE
NETWORK
POLICY ENGINE
NETWORK
• Availability
• Tiering
• Agile
• Protected
• Virtual Volumes (VVols)
– A new framework for storing VM data
• Makes the VMDK a first-class citizen of
the storage world
– VM-granular, offloaded data services instead
of at the LUN/FS level
• Policy-based automation and
orchestration
– VM provisioning to storage profiles
– Ensures VMs are compliant
– Released in vSphere 6.0
– Based on the VASA 2.0 protocol
Simplified Storage Management for VMware environments
COMPUTE

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1. VASA Vendor Provider
2. Storage Policy Based
Management
3. Virtual Volumes
4. VVol Datastore
5. Protocol Endpoint
VVol components
1
2
3
5
4

34. 34
• ESX server communicates with the
array through VASA APIs
• Unity on-array provider implements
VASA 1.0 and 2.0 protocols
• Responsibilities
– Facilitates offloading of data services
– Manages VASA sessions
– Handles client authentication
– Generates events and alarms
– Converts array data model to VASA
data model
VASA Vendor Provider

35. 35
• Authored by storage admin
• Describes the characteristics of the
storage pool
– Drive type, RAID type, FAST Cache,
etc.
– One Capability Profile per storage pool
• Capability Profiles also include:
– Service Levels - Gold, Silver, Bronze
– Usage Tags - Tags passed from the
storage to the vSphere admin
Storage policy based management
Capability profiles

36. 36
• Authored by vSphere admin
• Describes the desired storage
characteristics
– vSphere admin can use service
levels, usage tags, or storage
properties
– Datastores are filtered to either
compatible or incompatible
• Monitored for compliance by VASA
– If out of compliance, alarms are
generated
Storage policy based management (cont.)
Storage policies

37. 37
• Automatically-provisioned storage
objects stored on VVOL datastores
– Data represents VMDKs, snapshots,
clones, fast-clones, etc.
– Config contains standard VM-level
configuration such as vmx, logs,
nvram, etc.
– Swap holds copies of VM memory
pages when powered on
– Memory holds a complete copy of a
VM’s memory on disk when
suspended
Virtual Volumes: Types

38. 38
• Managed by storage admin
– Storage is logically partitioned in to
Storage Containers
– Storage Containers have a 1:1
mapping with VVol Datastores
• Enforces space limits
– Limits storage usage on each
Capability Profile
– Aggregates storage capacity across
one or more Capability Profiles
VVol Datastores

39. 39
• IO from ESX to array is addressed
through an access point - Protocol
Endpoint (PE)
• NAS PE looks like a NFS mount point
• Block PE looks like a LUN
Protocol Endpoint: Overview

40. 40
Provisioning model
Capability Profile 1
Drive Type: SAS/Flash
RAID Type: RAID5
FAST Cache: Yes
Service Level: Gold
Usage Tags: Production, Database
Capability Profile 2
Drive Type: NL-SAS
RAID Type: RAID6
FAST Cache: No
Service Level: Bronze
Usage Tags: Archive
VVOL Datastore A (500TB)
Hosts = ESXi1, ESXi2
VVOL Datastore B (500TB) VVOL Datastore B (1TB)
Hosts = ESXi1, ESXi2 Hosts = ESXi1, ESXi2
Storage Pool 1 Storage Pool 2

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• Space Efficiency – Thin or Thick
– A standard VMware defined capability
• Service Level – Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze (recommended)
– Defined by SPBM internal logic using underlying pool characteristics
• Usage Tag – Storage Admin defines set of strings (recommended)
– Strings such as “Exchange”, “Oracle”, “SQL”, “Database”, “Archive”
• Storage Properties – Low level storage capabilities (advanced):
– Drive Type
– RAID Level
– FAST Cache
– Tiering Policy
Supported storage capabilities

42. 42
• Protects at VM-level granularity
• Storage agnostic
– SAN/vSAN/NAS/DAS
• VMware vCenter integration
• Local or remote replication
– Synchronous or Asynchronous
• Built-in orchestration and automation
RecoverPoint for VMs
RecoverPoint for
Virtual Machines
VMware vCenter Plug-in
Embedded Hypervisor Splitter
Storage Agnostic
SAN/vSAN/NAS/DAS
Protects VMs

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• OpenStack Unified
• Cinder: BLOCK Support
• Manila: SHARED FILE Support
• OpenStack Unified Protocols
• FC, iSCSI, NFS, and CIFS/SMB Support
•
• Versatility for widest variety of Block & File use cases in
an OpenStack environment
• Providing businesses with full orchestration and cloud flexibility
• Block & File Plug-Ins available through EMC GitHub
Unity and OpenStackV
For OpenStack environments that need consistent performance storage
OpenStack Driver
EMC Plug-In
REST
API

44. 44
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP
Multicore
Optimized
Designed for
Virtualization
• Cinder Supported Protocols
– FC and iSCSI
• Supports all main volume operations
• FAST VP, FAST Cache, FC SAN Zoning
– Vendor-specific values exposing performance
optimizations available solely for Unity
• Integrated into OpenStack trunk
Unity for OpenStack Cinder (block)
FULLY UNIFIED
All mixed workloads
All access protocols
ALL FLASH &
HYBRID
Flash Designed
& Optimized
Benefits of
Tiered Storage
OpenStack Cinder Driver
EMC Cinder Plug-In
REST
API

45. 45
Key volume operations with Unity
Cinder Operations with Unity
Create, Delete, Extend Volume
Snapshot volume , Delete snapshots
List volume and snapshots
Attach, Detach volume
Create volume from snapshot*
Copy image to volume and volume to image
Clone Volume*
Migrate volume, Retype a volume, Get volume stats*
Create and Delete Consistency Groups
Create and Delete Consistency Group Snapshots
FC & iSCSI
Consistency Groups
Thin & thick provisioning
FAST VP, FAST Cache
Performance Optimizations
Pool aware scheduler
Fabric Manager
Manage/un-manage volume
Key Features
*Not initially available with Unity

46. 46
• Manila Supported Shared File Protocols
– NFS and CIFs
• Shared File Operations Support
– Create/delete NFS/CIFS file share
– Create/delete snapshots
– Allow/deny access to share
– Create share from snapshot
Unity for OpenStack Manila (file)
FULLY UNIFIED
All mixed workloads
All access protocols
ALL FLASH &
HYBRID
Flash Designed
& Optimized
Benefits of
Tiered Storage
TECHNOLOGY
LEADERSHIP
Multicore
Optimized
Designed for
Virtualization
OpenStack Manila Driver
EMC Manila Plug-In
REST
API

47. 47
Unity VSA
Agile, Virtual Storage
• COMMUNITY SUPPORT
• FREE DOWNLOAD
• 4TB CAPACITY LIMIT
• EMC SUPPORT
• SUBSCRIPTION LICENSE
• 10TB | 25TB | 50TB
COMMUNITY
EDITION
PROFESSIONAL
EDITION
Easy Upgrade
USE CASES
TEST DEV | RAPID DEPLOYMENT
REMOTE BRANCH OFFICES | LOW-COST STORAGE
RETAIL | EDUCATION | HEALTHCARE | CLOUD
VMWARE ESX
N F S | C I F S | i S C S I
BLOCKFILE
REPLICATION SNAPS
HTML5
UNISPHERE
VVOL
VSI | ESI
ESA| VAAI
REST API
VIRTUAL STORAGE APPLIANCE

48. 48
CPU
Dual-core 64-bit x86 Intel
2GHz+ Xeon E5 Series CPU
Memory
16 GB for ESXi 5.5
18 GB for ESXi 6.0
Network Interfaces
1 - 4 x 1GbE
or
1 - 4 x 10GbE
RAID Controller
(when using Server storage)
• NV Cache- 512 MB (1GB recommended)
• API access – Required
• S.M.A.R.T Support – Required
Server SAN or SAN • VSAN, ScaleIO (v2+), SAN
Operating System VMware ESXi 5.5+
Virtual & Server specifications
Storage Processors (SPs) 1
vCPUs 2 (2GHz+)
Memory 12 GB
Virtual Network (vNICs)
Data
4 x 1GbE
or
4 x 10GbE
Protocols iSCSI, NFS, CIFS
VirtualPhysicalServer

49. 49
Unity VSA & Unity features COMPARISON
FEATURE PHYSICAL SYSTEM UNITY VSA
CIFS  
NFS  
iSCSI  
FAST VP Tiering Capability  
Asynchronous Unified Replication  
Unisphere HTML 5 GUI + REST API  
Quality of Service  
Monitoring & Reporting  
Thin Provisioning  
VVols  
FAST Cache 
Data at Rest Encryption 
Fibre Channel 
Synchronous Replication 

50. 50
The best storage array for midrange customers’
virtualized environments COMPARISON

51. 51
QUESTIONS?